Donald J. Trump, who again declined on Thursday morning to say whom he talks to about foreign affairs, held a private briefing last summer with Richard N. Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a spokeswoman for Mr. Haass said Thursday.

The spokeswoman, Iva Zoric, released a statement after Mr. Trump made a laudatory statement about Mr. Haass in an appearance Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“I respect Richard Haass, who’s on your show a lot,” Mr. Trump said. “And I like him a lot. I have a few people that I really like and respect.’

Mr. Haass, as president of an independent nonpartisan organization, cannot make an endorsement in the presidential race, Ms. Zoric’s statement said. She said that he had offered to hold briefings with all candidates from both parties, and that so far Senator Marco Rubio, Jim Webb, Hillary Clinton, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Jeb Bush had made appearances at the Council on Foreign Relations.